Manhattan · Upper West Side
Upper West Side
Pre-war co-ops on Central Park West, West End Avenue and Riverside Drive, and brownstone side streets, between two large parks.
- $1.53MMedian sale price, last 12 months
- 1,054Recorded sales, last 12 months
- 76%Of homes in pre-war buildings
- 5Subway lines with stations in the area
About Upper West Side
The Upper West Side, as covered here, is the central part of the neighborhood, from the mid-70s up to 96th Street, between Central Park West and Riverside Drive. Lincoln Square, to the south, is covered separately.
About three-quarters of its homes are in buildings from before 1940. Central Park West, West End Avenue and Riverside Drive are lined with pre-war apartment buildings, many of them co-ops, and the side streets between them hold long rows of brownstones. The Upper West Side–Central Park West Historic District, designated in 1990, covers half of the area’s tax lots, and the Riverside–West End districts cover much of the rest.
Broadway, Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues are the main shopping streets. The American Museum of Natural History, on Central Park West at 79th Street, is the neighborhood’s best-known landmark.
Landmarks Preservation Commission historic districts in the neighborhood include the Upper West Side / Central Park West Historic District, the Riverside-West End Historic District, the Riverside-West End Historic District Extension I, the West End-Collegiate Historic District, the Riverside-West End Historic District Extension II, the Central Park West-76th Street Historic District, the West End-Collegiate Historic District Extension and the Riverside Drive-West 80th – 81st Street Historic District. Exterior changes to buildings inside a historic district need Commission approval, which is worth knowing before buying a townhouse or planning a renovation. Check any address on the LPC designations map.
Upper West Side market report
From October 2025 through September 2026, NYC Department of Finance records show 1,054 home sales on the Upper West Side, with a median price of $1.53M. Half of those sales fell between $850K and $2.88M.
The total breaks down as 638 co-op sales, 395 condo sales and 21 sales of 1–3 family houses.
The overall median is up 11.6% on the previous 12 months, and the number of sales is up 7.3%.
The condo median rose 35.2% year on year, on 395 sales. A swing that size usually reflects which apartments sold, not a change in what comparable apartments are worth.
| Type | Sales | Median | Middle half of sales | Median vs. prior year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Co-ops | 638 | $1.25M | $715K – $2.03M | +11.6% |
| Condos | 395 | $2.40M | $1.23M – $4.23M | +35.2%* |
| 1–3 family houses | 21 | $6.10M | $5.30M – $6.55M | — |
* Large change on a limited number of sales; see the note above.
Source: NYC Department of Finance rolling and annualized sales, October 2025 – September 2026, compared with October 2024 – September 2025. Residential sales of $100,000 or more; bulk and duplicate records removed. Recent months may be incomplete because sales appear as deeds are recorded. Area covered: NYC Planning area MN0702 (Upper West Side, Central). Updated quarterly.
Homes on the Upper West Side
Co-ops made up about 60% of recorded sales in the last 12 months, many of them in pre-war buildings. Condos made up most of the rest, in conversions and newer buildings, and there were 21 recorded sales of 1–3 family houses, mostly brownstones on the side streets.
- HomesAbout 57,000 residential units
- Age76% of units are in buildings from before 1940 (23% before 1900); 3% are in buildings from 2000 or later
- Building types59% in elevator apartment buildings, 23% in walk-up apartment buildings, 17% in condominiums
- Co-op buildings462
- Condo buildings158
- Townhouses and small buildings510 (1–4 units)
Building data from NYC Department of City Planning PLUTO. Counts are approximate.
Getting around
The 1 runs along Broadway with stops at 79th, 86th and 96th Streets, where the 2 and 3 express trains also stop. The B and C stop along Central Park West at 81st, 86th and 96th Streets. The M79 and M86 Select Bus Service routes cross Central Park to the East Side.
Stations in the neighborhood
- 86 StBC
- 96 StBC
- 79 St1
- 86 St1
- 81 St-Museum of Natural HistoryBC
- 96 St123 Accessible
Stations from the MTA’s station list. Plan a specific trip with the MTA trip planner.
Parks
Central Park runs along the east side and Riverside Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, along the river. Both are within a few blocks of most addresses, and there are neighborhood playgrounds throughout.
- Central Park840 acres
- Riverside Park253.2 acres
- Happy Warrior Playground1.7 acres
- Joan Of Arc Park1.6 acres
- Sol Bloom Playgroundunder 1 acre
- Tecumseh Playgroundunder 1 acre
NYC Parks properties in or next to the neighborhood. Areas from NYC Parks.
School district
Upper West Side is in NYC Community School District 3. Public school zoning is set address by address and can change from year to year, so check any specific address with the Department of Education before you rely on it.
The Garson Team on the Upper West Side
The Garson Team’s Upper West Side sales include apartments at 20 West 77th Street, a 1925 co-op off Central Park West, and 65 West 95th Street, a 1928 elevator co-op.
Nearby neighborhoods
Related reading
Manhattan Neighborhoods With Big Parks and Larger Apartments
Buying or selling on the Upper West Side?
Talk to Ryan Garson and The Garson Team about recent sales, buildings and pricing on the Upper West Side.
Contact The Garson Team About Ryan Garson
Ryan Garson, Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker. The Garson Team is affiliated with Compass, a licensed real estate broker, 110 5th Ave, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10011. Equal Housing Opportunity.